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Go South Coast is the We all know that we should organisation behind a number of be finding ways to be less bus and coach companies that dependent on the car when every year carry millions of it comes to making journeys people over millions of miles all where there is a viable alternative. over our region. Increasingly, the bus will have We are a major employer in the an important role to play in area, and the lifeblood of many the future, but at Go South communities and businesses, Coast we understand only too helping the economy of the well the product has to be region and benefiting the local relevant to people’s needs and attractive enough to make environment. modal shift an easier choice. Tailored travel planning is also an important part of our business, as are bodywork engineering facilities which we market to other transport undertakings through our Hants & Dorset Trim subsidiary. The map here shows the large tract of territory in which we run our local and inter-urban bus services. In Southampton, Bluestar’s routes radiate out to Winchester, Eastleigh, Hedge End, Hythe and Romsey. Bluestar also runs local routes in the city. Uni-Link is an urban network in Southampton, primarily aimed at the student market, though available to anyone. Southern Vectis runs buses on the Isle of Wight, with most routes radiating from the capital town of Newport. The rest of the area is Wilts & Dorset territory, which also includes our high-frequency More service running up to every 3 minutes between Poole and Bournemouth. Damory is a Dorset-based, locally-focused, low-cost company able to offer a more economic solution to local authority tendered bus operation without any reduction in quality. passenger journeys per year 36,320,988 miles travelled per year 18,630,000 fleet size 611 total number of staff 1,681 Wilts & Dorset has a proud heritage of We enjoy a close working relationship with the running buses going back to the early years local authorities in our area, and this has enabled of the 20th century. us to introduce one of the first Text4Times But we’re very much a company of the systems, getting real time bus information to present and, for that matter, the future. people’s mobile phones - giving added confidence to using buses. We led the transformation of the public’s perception of the bus in Poole and Our role in the community is important too - Bournemouth with More. This is a direct link not least our lead sponsorship of the first two across the conurbation running up to every Bournemouth Air Festivals. These have been 3 minutes, and with night buses too - using a huge success for the region and its people, vehicles of a quality never seen before, and Wilts & Dorset is proud to be a leading light boasting car-like features such as air-con amongst local businesses in raising the profile and spacious seating. of the town. We are constantly investing in the company’s future, with £5 million spent in 2008-9 on new, environmentally-friendly vehicles for our flagship routes, like the increasingly popular inter-urban X3 link between Salisbury and Bournemouth. Bluestar’s constantly improving bus As well as new buses with a designer services are increasingly being seen to interior, sophisticated and appropriate offer a viable alternative to the car for marketing methods have helped more and more people in an area where patronage of the Bluestar 1 route high car ownership is the norm. between Winchester and Southampton This demonstrates that it is possible increase considerably. to achieve modal shift from car to Making the customer feel valued is core bus when you offer a high-quality to the Bluestar ethos. Our website has product that is seen by potential received critical acclaim for how easy it users as acceptable and devoid is to get information and for its appealing of any stigma that has been look, while the ‘in-flight’ SO magazine an unfortunately negative keeps customers entertained while perception of bus travel promoting destinations and events for far too long. easy to get to by bus. Southern Vectis provides a network of bus services all over the Isle of Wight, well-used by locals and the many visitors the island attracts. Route 1, for example, is a round-the-clock link between Newport and Cowes, running up to every 6 minutes during the day and meeting every Redjet high-speed ferry to and from Southampton. Southern Vectis is integral to the identity and function of Because we believe we many aspects of island life, must favourably balance supporting local charities, the need to travel with any promoting local events and harm that may do to the working in harmony with environment, we are other businesses . investing heavily in low -emission ‘greener’ buses. it truly is the island’s buses. This part of England has some Our Purbeck Breezer is a fabulous way of getting from truly spectacular coastlines, Bournemouth to Studland and Swanage. The bus and we provide a number of tourist- actually puts to ‘sea’, as it crosses over to the Isle of orientated open-top services tailored Purbeck on the Sandbanks chain ferry. to the specific needs of sightseers, Over on the Isle of Wight, the hop-on, hop-off Island walkers and families. Breezers take visitors to some of island’s best These allow people to enjoy a spur- attractions, with the Needles Tour taking in the of-the-moment day out without the breathtaking climb to the Needles Battery on, environmental nuisance that more perhaps, Britain’s most spectacular bus ride. and more cars would bring to these magnificent landscapes. Bluestar has been running the New Forest Tour for several seasons now, a popular and more sustainable way of enjoying one of Britain’s newest National Parks, and reducing the number of cars In 2008 Wilts & Dorset took over the on the park’s narrow roads. Stonehenge tour, a circular tourist bus from Salisbury city centre to the world heritage site. Understanding the specific needs of a specific market, and being able to promote and sell the tour far and wide, has enabled us to increase ticket sales and grow the market for this service. We have built up a reputation for being experts at not just providing, but organising with military precision, transport for special events. The annual Isle of Wight and Glastonbury music festivals are two such events where we get praised every year for our indomitable spirit and the part we play in the success of these events. Our professional forward-planning skills and our grass-roots, hands-on involvement mean that we go the extra mile (several miles more often than not) to make things go without a hitch and ensure everyone’s enjoyment is never compromised. The same approach applies to any task that involves carrying large numbers of people between two or more points, such as rail- replacement services. Every day we carry thousands of schoolchildren and students safely to and from their places of education. This is on either on our regular bus services, or on student transport we provide on behalf of local authorities and educational establishments. In 2008 we won the contract to run the Uni-link network on behalf of the University of Southampton. These buses are for anyone to use, not just university students. With the strength of the Go-Ahead Group behind us we were able to invest in a fleet of new vehicles. Because of the close working partnership with the university, we are able to bring our expertise and flair to running and marketing these bus services, an increasingly important part of Southampton’s public transport system. We own a number of locally well-respected coach companies, providing a full range of bespoke products for the tourist, charter and schools and clubs markets, not to mention servicing the lucrative cruise liner business. The businesses are growing, thanks to an efficient sales staff and a coherent professional image. Repeat business is high, with customers praising the care and consideration of our drivers and the attention to detail that makes every trip such a success. Hants & Dorset Trim provides an important and much respected business back up service. Its growing client base is impressive, and it is the preferred choice for many of the UK’s leading transport providers. Clients enjoy a highly individual, personal service where the traditional skills of craftsmanship and attention to detail are allied with professional high-tech solutions as appropriate. These are just some of the ways we are smart on your fleet. interior refurbishment / remodelling improving the travelling environment repainting making sure vehicles look the best they can accident repair nothing less than invisible mending information 01202 680 888 or search our brands online.

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